Wild Thing Review Valleyfair Morgan Hyper Coaster

[@beau_thielen]

The problem with this ride is that it is a prototype. This was the 5th ever hyper coaster in the world in 1996 and was the first built by Morgan. The true nature of a hyper coaster had not been fully established so for Morgan to step up and build this ride should be appreciated even if it may not stack up to todays coasters

[@minnesotathrills]

Facts.

[@coastingthrills7297]

I appreciate the coaster more when I think about this. When Wild Thing opened it was the 5th tallest coaster in the world. Morgan is a revolutionary company that wasn’t afraid to take risks. Although I would love to see changes to the ride like less trimming at the mid-course, I will always respect this coaster for what it is!

[@Drbcoaster]

I absolutely agree. The comparisons to other hyper coasters by B&M - and even to Mamba & Steel Force - are a bit unfair due to the prototype nature of Wild Thing. The ride itself is impressive FOR ITS TIME. When it opened, there were only 4 other hyper coasters in the world - all built by Arrow (Magnum XL-200, Steel Phantom, Desperado, and The Big One). Comparatively, Wild Thing was far and away the smoothest of the bunch. The 6th hyper coaster to open (also in 1996) was Fujiyama, by Togo. Again, Wild Thing was far smoother.

[@Psyclone500TV]

Its weird to even think that Valleyfair 26 years ago had one of the tallest coasters in the world

[@donovanerickson1977]

Gotta love it for what it is. One of the first hyper coasters in the world that is loved by the GP(aka 99% of Valleyfair audience). Sure it’s not the best but it gives a long and fun ride.

[@minnesotathrills]

Facts.

[@SillyPlushStudios]

Facts

[@mr.intamin1081]

Still sucks

[@GMFan]

@@mr.intamin1081 mfw enthusiasts think they are important

[@minnesotathrills]

You got to remember that Wild Thing is the original Morgan Hyper and this project for Morgan was huge for them at the time, before WT they’ve never done anything like it before.

[@CoasterStudios]

Fair point!

[@goprolowpro]

Yep

[@MozzarEllaOfficial]

My mom loves this ride, which I feel is the perfect description for it.

[@Shoegazeandhiphop]

wild thing makes my heart sing

[@DirectionalAnything]

The first time I rode it was in like 2017. The mid course barely hit and the final hills were awesome. The next year was such a painful surprise

[@skyrushyesminderaserno1150]

WILD THING!!! YOU MAKE MY HEART SING!!!

[@chrisbender8714]

You make EVERYTHING... Groovy

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

Imagine if Wild Thing had Magnum’s airtime.

[@bocahdongo7769]

Or literally all the Morgan ever exist

[@guiderex2514]

they need to remove the trims for that

[@stephenlee1664]

@@bocahdongo7769 phantom's revenge has some decent airtime.

[@WednesdayAddams5150]

@@bocahdongo7769 I’ve heard Superman El Ultimo Escape has some good airtime

[@northstarcoasters]

Wild thing is mild thing 90% of the time. But at the end of the year when it’s all greased up and the trims don’t hit super hard there is airtime on the bunny hills albeit not anything mind blowing. The worst part for me is the first helix, that one is boring. Wild thing may be flawed but I have to give respect for being Morgan’s prototype hyper. It was supposed to go to Dorney Park but they couldn’t get the permits fast enough so Valleyfair got it last second. If Morgan and Valleyfair had more time to plan out Wild Thing, I think it would have been different. I still rank Wild Thing higher than Mamba because Mamba gave me zero airtime when I rode it

[@minnesotathrills]

Facts.

[@deluxedoorman]

Love your channel.

[@beau_thielen]

Never knew this was originally supposed to go to dorney, it makes a lot of sense

[@JBThrills]

I knew you would be here 😂

[@BookChats]

As someone whose home park is VF you're thinking of it the wrong way, may I suggest: nap coaster. We pretty much only ride when the line is short, but the enduring popularity of Wild Thing among the GP keeps Renegade's line shorter.

[@nickcutillo621]

This ride may not be the best but it DID pave the direction for the many amazing roller coasters we have today. It's definitely a prototype, and was the first hyper coaster done by Morgan, so maybe they learned a thing or 2 from this ride and created some better ones like Steel Force and Mamba.

[@eriklakeland3857]

And certainly Superman El Último Escape

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

I haven’t seen the whole review yet, but I’m predicting you have it a 5.

[@coasterproductions4872]

One thing I tried that sort of alleviated the tightness of the seat belt on Renegade was pulling it out farther than I normally would. It makes it so you get a little more room.

[@mnsirens]

Hi, Valleyfair regular here. There are three big problems with this ride: 1. The mid-course, prior to 2023, slowed you down WAY too much. I’m not sure if they’ll ramp it up again later this season, but up until my most recent visit (yesterday), they’d always kill your momentum to a ridiculous amount on that mid-course. Now, it still slows you, but the brakes cut off half way through the mid-course and let you keep some momentum going into that final stretch. I noticed the airtime in the return stretch was way stronger than I am used to on my visit yesterday. 2. Seatbelts. This ride has the regular Morgan restraints that allow you plenty of wiggle room for airtime, but the seat belts on it will tension up when you float out of your seat during most of the airtime moments, just like a car seatbelt does when you’re in an accident or moving too fast. 3. Age. You have to remember that this ride is 27 years old now, and is practically pre-historic when it comes to hyper coasters. Not only is it Morgan’s first, it was also the first non-Arrow hyper ever constructed. I think that it’s a pretty good ride given the circumstances, especially considering that this rides so much better than all of the Arrow hypers that preceded it.

[@Metal_Groove45]

Maybe if the midcourse didn't hit so hard, maybe you would get some airtime on those return hills!

[@eaceisboring]

For me, I can literally JUMP OUT OF MY SEAT when riding this. If i ever sat in the back, I would fly out. There is no doubt about

[@EternalLibido]

This coaster was also built in the days that a coaster was made by "I'm scared to be that high up". That was the charm. You had to dare your friends to do it because of how tall it was. That reason alone made it the star of the park for many years. I think people now just expect even more from coasters. Once everything is really tall, then "really tall" isn't scary anymore.

[@staceyschmidt7790]

I think this might have been one of the first big costers I rode? And now I apppreciate it because it's less likely to get me motion sick (or give me a headache).

[@goprolowpro]

Nice video 👍🏻 Thanks for highlighting my home park

[@technoandrew]

Quite reminiscent of the Big One over here in the UK. If Wild Thing is anything similar, then ordinarily the ride experience won’t offer much air time. But if you catch it on the right day, then it can deliver a surprising amount.

[@charliedub1184]

I've been on wild thing hundreds of times because Valleyfair is my home park and I agree with everything he said.

[@cltcoasters]

Always love seeing a new review!

[@LordMangudai]

It's funny that everyone nicknames it Mild Thing because there used to be a kiddie coaster at Valleyfair that was actually called Mild Thing (and which is probably my rarest credit lol)

[@FeedYourGreed]

Yeah, I disagree with this a bit. The second hill after the first drop gives some great floater and the second hill after the break run gives a great bit of air time. Could be a better ride, but those two points are distinct from my recollection and make the ride experience unique. 7/10.

[@maxhagenauer24]

0:05 Mild Thing is actually the name of q kiddie coaster right next to Wild Thing, so that's already taken.

[@consair]

That ride has been defunct since 2010 according to rcdb.

[@EtaM29]

This thing looks better than it is. It has good speed and a little bit of airtime. But this thing looks amazing and makes the skyline. I think if we get a ground up Rmc hybrid around 160 feet in the old dinosaur plot of land that is closed. with 3 inversions and a b and m inverts with 7 inversions a few years later that could make vallyfair a top cedar fair park with a great top 3 renegade, Rmc hybrid, and b and m invert

[@ryanwagner490]

Wild thing was also originally designed and was supposed to go to Dorney park.

[@EPiche09]

Love it. Back when it was built it was all about the drop. Guess it's tough to compare it to other coasters I haven't ridden. Below a wild mouse ( your reference for 5) style coater is ridiculous. Mild Thing was the name of the kiddie coaster back in the day.

[@CancelHappiness]

Nah, this coaster sucks

[@nordash3824]

im looking forward to riding this as a junior coaster enthusiast (13) is afraid of roller coasters and this is my home park. I want to conquer this bad boy the next time I go this summer im so scarred :(

[@eddienhp]

I never been on this coaster, but it does sound like a cool roller coaster for me to ride when I'm going to Valleyfair in the future!

[@prtruth4637]

Got to ride this with the last trim breaks not no. So after the turn around into the bunny hills with no breaks. Was crazy.

[@enigmaYT77]

I’d give wild thing a 6.5/10. I enjoyed it but it didn’t meet my expectations.

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

On my day there, I got mild floater on those bunny hills at the end. I go to Worlds of Fun several times a year, and Mamba usually rides how you described Wild Thing, with nothing at all on those bunny hills. I've had a couple rides where Mamba gave some mild floater there, the rare times when the train was completely full. Valleyfair was quite busy for me, even on a weekday, so Wild Thing was always full.

[@latortugapicante719]

Not anymore bucko. Look how slow this coaster is after the brakes. Mamba doesn’t have brakes now

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

@@latortugapicante719 I have noticed how Mamba is now flying over those bunny hills. I got to ride it a week ago, and those hills were insane. I rode Wild Thing a few days later, and it was trimmed hard. Those bunny hills were giving only mild floater. I did ride in row 3 both rides, which is the row that gets the best airtime, so other rows might have gotten nothing.

[@MarcandAngelaWilkinson]

I agree with other commenters and add, locals know wild thing is wayyy better at night! That drop is way better in the dark!

[@billchief397]

Valleyfair is a close park so been on every new coaster after 85. I remember this 1996. Excalibur 89 renegade 07 steel venom in early 200 something. Fun park

[@olicoasters]

I grew up riding wild thing. I’ve had really amazing rides on it, and I’ve had extremely disappointing ones too. I recommend visiting on a warm summer day in the afternoon, maybe after they’ve gotten some new wheels on it too. I believe there is also a trim on it if I remember correctly? That may also be affecting your experience. I prefer the middle and the back on it but can see where you would like the front, too.

[@coastingthrills7297]

Interested to watch this

[@WalkerFilmsOfficial]

Would like to see this ride given a take that wasn't quick off of other reviewers' heals. This is Morgan's #1 alolngside Steel Phantom. There is more airtime on Renegade. There is more airtime on freaking High Roller But that's not the point of Wild Thing. The Point of Wild Thing is being a 15 year old kid in Minnesota and being able for one day in the summer to take a drop on a roller coaster that seems semi-legit in the overall scheme of coasters As a dude who has more credits than I did back then, the second half of Wild Thing doesn't suck like most enthustiasts say it does. It's picturesque, it may not have many forces but it still slaps! Give Wild Thing your heart

[@lacrls]

They were barely running the trims last night and Wild Thing was flying!

[@silverwolflee6978]

Fun Fact they have run Wild Thing with the brake runs off so maybe then you could have air time. Also wild thing was probably supposed to be higher but due to the near by airport that's the hight we got. Could explain why the elements don't feel as intense

[@williammanthey6763]

The only ride at Valleyfair that was supposed to be taller due to the nearby airport is Power Tower. It was supposed to be 300 feet instead of 275.

[@trimlessthrills6123]

I think that the Morgan hypers look pretty fun! If you don’t focus that much on the forces themselves and focus more on the speed it would probably be really enjoyable

[@chuck4714]

The first drop and first airtime hill give ejector in the back.

[@horationelson2440]

Could the reason for the lackluster airtime be due to the trains? I mean, they do seem to be more in line with the arrow hyper trains. I wouldn't be surprised if they were far lighter, and thus carry far less momentum through the course when compared to a B&M or Intamin train. I mainly think that because well... It doesn't in theory seem any different from most B&M hypers. And the new trains (relatively speaking) seen on Phantoms Revenge just haul no matter where they are in the course. Makes me wonder what these rides could've been like if they had the newer style Morgan trains.

[@WednesdayAddams5150]

I don’t think it’s a train issue. It’s because of the trims

[@munkeezc]

Steel Eel at SWSA (videoed) definitely has the retractable seat belts so it's not just a ValleyFair thing

[@urbex_coasters]

If I had to guess the problem is the midcourse. This is the only Cedar Fair Morgan hyper I haven't ridden, when thinking about the other 2 I found Mamba rather boring other than the epic near miss on the turnaround which is the only near miss that actually scares me (the ride was boring because the midcourse was bringing it to basically a dead stop), Steel Force was running with no trims when I rode it (I know it doesn't normally run that way, I'm saying this to make a point) and it's legit one of my top hypers overall. Trimless Steel Force is at least in the same class as Mako. I suspect trimless Mamba and trimless Wild Thing would be just as good but you'll only maybe see them running like that for enthusiast events. The point is Morgan hypers have a ton of potential, the Cedar Fair ones often get neutered by a harsh midcourse.

[@samgb6162]

you call it mild thing jokingly, but valleyfair used to have a kiddie coaster called mild thing! also, the seatbelts have been like that since 2005-ish, when wild thing derailed. nobody died, but it was a pretty big deal at the time

[@tristanc691]

I would rate it 11/10

[@rcky6506]

For me, it’s #2 in the park (Although Excalibur was closed) Its not that strong of a hyper, but I like the sense of speed on the helix and the first drop and hill are great. The only other Morgan I’ve been on is Mamba, and while I think Mamba is the better ride, I have a lot of respect for the OG Morgan hyper

[@UwePieper]

Seatbelts don't prevent airtime. Airtime is defined by the forces. You still get the same. When you're pinned to the seat you lose most of the out of control feeling and you're not lifted out of your seat. But you still experience the same negative G-forces and thus the same airtime. Nevertheless I agree with your point and like a (safe) bit of wiggle room.

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

Agreed. I find it interesting that he brings this up about Wild Thing & other rides there, but has never criticized the retractable seatbelts on B&M hypers/gigas.

[@Feuerfr3i]

Taylor! You spoke of Morgan Hypers, proper execution, and you didn’t speak of the King, Phantoms Revenge. I’m not sure I can forgive you for this.

[@irving5837]

You should try Superman el último escape, is an incredible Morgan coaster if not the best, try it in the back row, is the best place

[@nocoastoutdoors4793]

Good review. The MCBR has always trimmed pretty hhard. Allegedly, the return trip is much improved when the trims are off, but I've never experienced that.

[@DSoto-nf8je]

Are you planning on going to six flags mexico? they have a morgan hyper themed to superman I heard its the best morgan ever made

[@CoasterStudios]

We hope to at some point!

[@DZstudios.]

This coaster is EXTREMELY underrated and is the best ride in the park

[@bubbybrothethird5369]

Renegade tho

[@mr.intamin1081]

Lol nah. That underrated thing ain’t gonna work here. This ride sucks. Riding the city bus is more exciting. Renegade is a good ride

[@sergeantjadonsoriginalchan3063]

I totally agree it is not too wild at all feels like moderate thing

[@anthonyjackson8624]

Wild things height is set by the FAA due to the close proximity to the Flying Cloud Airport

[@goprolowpro]

Wild thing isn’t great, but it was the first of Morgan’s Hypers so it’s understandable that it doesn’t compare to the others.

[@gracebarthelmy642]

I totally disagree with everything in this video, this ride is amazing! Try sitting in the first car, very front seat, that makes the ride even better! Love this ride so much and will never talk down about it!!!

[@douglasjgallup]

I like to think of this ride as a big version of the Japanese jet coasters

[@zachhardy6469]

Got to ride Steel Force and Wild Thing this summer and I agree that Wild Thing was pretty weak. Definitely liked Renegade the best in the park. Steel Force on the other hand was pretty awesome in my opinion.

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

“Wild Thing! You make me heart sing!”

[@amandajones7566]

One of the reasons there is no airtime is because of the mid course breakrun. They didn't use the breakrun in the 90's

[@kingsean7605]

He coaster studios can you do a ghostrider review at knotts

[@CoasterStudios]

I did one back in 2016! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGOzkmOwgK6CgsU

[@BigCerrot]

I got so much airtime today when I went in it so I think you where just on a slow day

[@maxwell6607]

I know this wouldn’t happen, but I would love to see B&M Trains on the Wild Thing. (Like What They Did With For Steel Dragon At Nagashima Spa Land). I don’t know if this would change the air time, but I would love to hear from you guys if would make a difference?

[@CoasterStudios]

I'm not sure it would make a difference because I think the core problem with the ride is in the profiling of the hills, not necessarily the trains. It's possible new trains would help pacing, but its tough to say. The B&M trains on Steel Dragon were pretty strange, so I wouldn't say its exactly anything I'd be petitioning to happen.

[@maxwell6607]

@@CoasterStudios Totally Understandable!

[@TheRobobuck]

Funny you should mention Mild Thing. That was the name of Valleyfair's kiddie coaster at one point.

[@Gold_hoarder]

I’m surprised that he hasn’t talked about the beast a kings island re-tracking

[@davidsouthall6789]

1st hyper by Morgan... I guess they were testing the waters on this one. I'd give it a 6 out of 10

[@Jackp499]

It’s very random for Wild Thing sometimes they do give airtime sometimes they don’t. I’ve visited this park over 20 times it’s not bad but I’d say the first half is still better because that first hill slapssssss

[@1BillionMarbles]

Coming from a guy who's home park is VF, you never get airtime on the return run. I rode wild thing like 50 ish times this summer, its either no airtime whatsoever, or *very* weak floater which doesn't lift you out of your seat. After the first airtime hill the ride is kinda pointless. Still though, gotta respect morgan for their first attempt at a hyper coaster, it could've turned out way worse. You should definitely do a parody video on this coaster.

[@traingirl3234]

I think the retracting seat belts are a Minnesota thing - every coaster I've ridden in this state has them

[@xkovacsx09]

Fun ride and probably my favorite at VF, but a sorry excuse for a hyper lol.

[@williammanthey6763]

I think new custom made trains would greatly help this coaster.

[@sergeantjadonsoriginalchan3063]

the back row is the fastest because the back is where you get all those tail winds.

[@Gabes1321]

BEHEMOTH REVIEWEWWWWWWWW TAYLORRRRRRRRR PLEASEEEEEEER

[@jonasmartens3204]

This is the roller coaster you get in the Medium Place.

[@Keelansvoboda]

Mamba on the return run now has no airtime

[@Porcf81]

I’ve always gotten a lot of air on the return run. I haven’t been there in a few years, but that wasn’t my experience at all.

[@patmurf1]

This is my home park. There are only two seats on Wild Thing: The absolute back two. You get ... some... value from the bunny hills. The turnaround sucks across the board. The only great thing about the ride is the first airtime hill. Its great, but once its done I mentally register the ride as over...

[@davegardner8317]

I've been calling it Mild Thing for years! And at my home park. Seriously disappointing but, as you mentioned in the video, Renegade makes up for it.

[@coastingthrills7297]

Row 3 is great

[@jimtheedcguy4313]

Steel Eel seems more intense than this ride! One of the best Morgans I’ve ridden with tons of air time!

[@narayanafry3314]

Rollercoasters are, on balance, generally downhill from there.

[@master21th92]

For those that think all Morgan rides are not intense ride Superman el ultimo escape

[@kingsean7605]

Wild thing looks cool but there is MAKO!!!

[@ohiostatebuckeyes4951]

Dropping at 196 is pretty scary to me

[@bigman9094]

Wild Thing is a really hit or miss ride some days you're flying out of your seat others you're just coasting along at a measly pace

[@maxhagenauer24]

This ride is like, I wish they got ride of it and replaced it with something good but at the same time, I don't want them to cause it's a huge GP eater and is so ionic.

[@ItsSiebay]

I imagine this isn’t gonna get higher than a 6

[@Samhilyard08]

If you go in the very back you get a whole bunch of airtime

[@noahdahl9760]

I get air time on it

[@tylercoon3833]

Phantom’s Revenge is better.

[@toddjones1480]

This isn’t a hyper. Who cares how tall the structure is? It’s all about that drop.

[@billchief397]

It's nice....but... Renegade

[@eloramaxwell7020]

Well this is random 😂

[@micmagellan5689]

...wifey asked will we ever loose Viper! Naw liken tah Wild Thang 😒😂 its here to stay. Hence heavy cars no Air Time... Meh

[@karlstrauss2330]

Except for Phantoms Revenge and Steel Eel, every Morgan hyper coaster is boring.

[@OnTheMapWithZack]

This is a 200ft family coaster

[@sqoomsh]

Haaa downhill joke

[@awl7788]

It looks like it’d be boring, the turnaround looks slow and drawn out and there’s lots of long straight track pieces. Looks like the first roller coaster I built in RCT as a kid